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The Nicaragua Surf Season
150 yards out from its shaded beach terrace, the extended center line of 'The Wave Garden' crosses over the most consistent sand bar at the mighty Colorados beach break.
- Rainy season: May20th to November 15th
- Canicula: July 1st to September 15th
- Dry Season November 15th to May 20th
Best Time of the Year: The Canicula - July 1st through September 15th
Almost guaranteed good surf conditions can be expected during the
Canicula, a period of fair weather sandwiched in the middle of the rainy
season. During the Canicula the skies are clear, rain is unlikely, the
wind blows gently offshore everyday, the birds sing more beautifully,
brightly colored butterflies flutter about wherever you look and there's
a ceaseless barrage of strong southerly swells. In short, the Canicula
is the best time of the year to surf in Nicaragua. Outside the
Canicula, there are always plenty of waves to score - just the
skank probability goes up a little. Have a
look at my surf reports which are organized by month. Read on for more...
- December, January, February - The Windy Season: During
the northern hemisphere winter, onshore wind and rain are nigh on impossible. This time of the year the weather hazard comes from the
offshore wind getting too strong. Surf hindering strong winds come in
blasts of up to two weeks. We lose anything from 4 to 6 weeks per windy
season due to strong winds. The swell is least consistent during the
windy season. Probability of getting skanked = MID
- March, April - Spring Break/ Easter/ The Hot Season: Still windy, but less so. The temperature starts to soar with average daytime
temperatures hovering close to 100 degrees - especially in April. With less wind and a greater
probability of southern swell, these two months are a safe bet for a
Nica surf trip. If the wind is cranking, then you can always head up to the lake for a kitesurf session. Popoyo Outer Reef will roar for the first time of the
year in March or April. Probability of getting skanked = NONE
- May, June - Early Rainy Season:
The first rains tend to fall between May 20th & May 30th and are
usually heavy, sustained and bring the winds onshore for periods of up to
four to six days. When its not raining the surf is heavenly with a steady supply
of southerly swell & gentle offshore breeze. Probability of getting skanked = LOW to MID
- July, through mid September - Mid Rainy Season, "The Canicula": The rains cease, the sun shines, the swell cranks. The Canicula is the surest time of the year to catch it good in Nicaragua. Probability of getting skanked = NONE
- Late September, October, early November - Late Rainy Season:
Similar to the early rainy season, but the bad weather spells can be more prolonged. October is the month to watch out for, usually experiencing the
most sustained periods of heavy rains/ onshore wind. Bad weather this
time of the year can get set-in. Its not unusual to lose a whole week to
stormy weather this time of the year. When the storms clear, the wind
will shift back offshore almost immediately and, with plenty of energy in the ocean, the surf conditions quickly improve. Probability of getting skanked = MID to HIGH (unless you stay for more than a 2 weeks, in which case you'll score BIG TIME!!)
- November:
After the October rains pass through, the sky clears, the sun
reappears, the gentle off-shores reestablished and we usually enjoy a
good run of fun waves. Probability of getting skanked = LOW